Belief at Dawn
by J.Whitnee
Summary: I never asked for much in my life, but for once can I have a normal Pokemon adventure like everyone else? No, I gotta have the lunatic companions, the crazy Pokemon, the bombs, the mysteries,and all the complications in between! What's my life come to?
1. Prologue: A Life Left to Chance

**Prologue: A Life Left to Chance**

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><p>Whether you realize it or not, our lives are a series of chain reactions that might as well be left to fate, luck, or supernatural guidance. And whether you like it or not, one minor decision you never counted as influential or prerequisite to the course of your life, or even your day, could in turn become the one thing that changes your entire existence completely.<p>

For better, or for worse.

Like_ Future Sight_, we make decisions that cannot be determined as neither canny nor insufficient until we realized where our decisions have come into play. What we thought was a calculated, intelligent, and bold decision could in turn play on the field as a largely insignificant one. Likewise, what we thought was an innocent play of "follow my heart" could become the one thing we truly regret the most.

So what do we do, when the factors cannot be controlled by our own hands? What do we do when they say, "Take the wheel of your own life!" when life itself rarely let's you take full control?

That's a question most of us leave unanswered.

My name is Kira Uriwa. Though I am about to unravel the very gritty details of my chaotic life filled with crazy companions and sugar-high Pokémon, I must say right now that this story really isn't about me, but rather, a person I used to know. I remain here as a witness; a middle man, telling you the story of a person who changed my life in such an inevitable way, even when life always set me down in the passenger seat, away from the gas and breaks.

Here is where I allege all but lies in front of you for you to examine and think as you wish, of either me or anyone else. I am the witness of an inconceivable man and his undiminished saga. I am the person who, in one point in time, held a fragment of his hopes and dreams, and carried his unbroken trust. I am the life that he forever changed, and I am the girl that forever changed his heart.

Here is his story.


	2. The Boy Next Door

Author's Notes: 04.04.12

_It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, though I want to keep my A/N's short now (I finally realized how annoying I was after reading through **Belief at Dawn**_ _again), I would like to say that this fic is not entirely new, rather, it is a revised version of a fanfic I posted almost four years ago. Rewritten to my new-found taste and re-plotted to remove some annoyances and plot-holes that happened along the way. If you are new to this story, I recommend not reading the old one, although it is there if you wish to do so. I won't stop you. _

_I feel so much more mature now, and my writing (and A/N's) seem so much more mature lol. Hope this is a good thing, not a bad thing haha._

_It's good to be back. I hope to finish revising my current 40 something chappies soon so I can start continuing it from there. Glad to see lots of old faces and some new ones! :)_

_As I always used to say, read, review, and enjoy!_

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 1: <span>****The Boy Next Door**

I woke up feeling drowsy and cold. I desperately clung onto the edges of my covers, partially afraid that one slight movement would allow a crack to open and cold early morning air to seep through. This summer seemed to be ending a lot sooner than I anticipated. I yawned, light tears forming in the corner of my eyes, and sniffed. If it wasn't for me trying to find Akeno during the strong winds last night, I probably would be in Paranana City by now, signing up for the Pokémon Academy. Thanks to his carelessness, I now only had by midnight to sign up for it, and if I failed to do so, it would be a whole year before I would get another chance. And no one likes to be a whole year behind.

Rounding up every last ounce of strength, I jumped out of bed and got dressed as fast as possible to escape the cold air. Packing my bag with a couple water bottles and some lunch, I swung it over my shoulder and headed out the door, grabbing a raw Stritus berry from our Stritus tree out front as I passed. I started jogging to warm up in the pre-autumn air, heading down the road that led out of my town and toward Paranana. Hopefully, with Kinya's weather patterns, it won't be long until it warms up to late summer temperatures again.

I lived in Kinya, a very, very small town smack dab in the middle of Yori; a humble region south of Kanto. Back in its young, glorious days Kinya was the perfect spot for restaurant businesses and hotels, as it was the town everybody used to go through on their way to the larger cities. Most of the time, it had acted as a resting spot for travelers and trainers from all around, but ever since Paranana sprung up only an hour's walk away, Kinya has become the town that mattered to no one but it's inhabitants. Why stop at Kinya when you could be in Paranana, Yori's Pokémon Breeder heaven?

Thinking about what Kinya used to be just makes me irritated. It fuels my desire to be a world renowned Pokémon Researcher. Why, if I was one, then I could open a laboratory right here in town, bringing in young Pokémon trainers and knowledge seekers from all over the globe! Kinya's name could be restored to what it used to be, and all thanks to who? Me, the incredible Kira Uriwa!

Calming myself down from my overactive imagination, I sighed and glanced at the road in front of me. It was a long and ridged one, but my only other option was the shortcut through the Kinya Woods. Without Papa or Akeno with me, the only protection I had against wild Pokémon was just lowly sticks and stones. I had little privileges when it came to things like this. My town has nothing to offer in terms of adventure-starting kits. I could not get a starter Pokémon from a professor, nor could I get any cool gear like Pokédexes, Pokéballs, Pokétches… I couldn't name them all! The only Pokémon we expected to get were all family Pokémon, from when a fellow parent used to be a trainer, or when one of us actually obtain a luxurious Pokéball. In our town, if you were young and wanted a Pokémon, you earned it. You saved money to buy one, or worked hard in hopes of receiving one brand new Pokéball to yourself. You took what you got, and you certainly didn't simply just go out and capture one when your heart desired.

I reached a curve in the road and decided to stop and take a rest; you really do start to lose stamina when you turn thirteen. I sat down silently on a nearby tree stump that was old and worn out from years of rain and wind. I thought about my enrollment into a Pokémon Academy; it would seem so awkward to sit in a classroom and learn endlessly about Pokémon, but if I were to become the incredible Professor Uriwa, this was a necessary step I had to take.

I still felt a little bit of a hole inside me, though I tried to hide and ignore it. After watching so many televised champion Pokémon battles and listening to Akeno babble for so long about his impractical dreams, sometimes it made me want to have impractical ones too. To run around the world, catching Pokémon of every shape and size, battling them and trading them and meeting other trainers. It seemed too…out of tense for me, somehow, like I would never be able to do any good with it, bringing myself to a life of failure, misery, and poverty.

Speaking of Akeno, have I told you who he was? He's my next door neighbor, a fellow best friend and rival, no matter what we did. Growing up, we bragged about anything and everything that was nonsense. Who could throw the heaviest rock. Who could run the fastest. Who could catch their first Pokémon first. But even through the most annoying and frustrating times, Akeno is really the only person I've got. Despite being in a small town where everybody knew everybody, I felt like he was the only person I could really be with, or talk to. He's done so many things that have left me in his debt, and I've only lived a dozen or so years.

I sighed at the idea of us. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and decided to continue my long walk to Paranana. From here on out it was up hill and boy… this was one of the rare moments where I wished I could fly.

"Kiiiraa~" a voice shouted out from somewhere distant. I turned and looked around slowly to see whom it was, but no one caught my eye. The voice called my name again, this time louder. I looked beyond the cluster of trees that formed the Kinya Woods. It must've been from there, and that means it must've been…

"Kira! Hey! Over here!"

…Yup, guessed it. The one and only Akeno.

He was tall, much taller than me despite being only one year (and admittedly, almost two years)older, wearing his oversized Teenage Mutant Ninja Squirtle pajamas. I really wanted to laugh; he was so childish yet all "grown-up" at the same time. His navy blue eyes were dark and overwhelmingly deep, with bright, intricate details that resembled the waves of open waters at night, and his hair (always a little messier every time I see him) gave off almost a maroon shade, curly and flipping away from his face. His bangs certainly needed a trim, curling over his eyebrows and just grazing his eyelids. And to top it off: bright blue slippers with cartoon Marill heads secured tightly on top.

"Hey..." I gave a half-hearted reply. His smile never changed from it's almost eerie, ear-to-ear state, as he ran up to me, a Pokéball secured tightly in his right hand. I gazed upon it in both irritation and confusion, envy quickly rushing through my body as I realized what this was going to be about.

"Hey, guess what?" He flashed a grin of confidence on as he looked at me and sized himself up. I had no question about what he was going to tell me. I had already guessed what was most likely the right answer even before he tossed the Pokéball over for me to catch lightly.

"What?" I muttered nevertheless, just to play along. He grinned proudly.

"I caught a Pokémon!"

"Okay," I mumbled numbly, indifferently. I tossed the ball between my palms, this being the first time I've ever actually held a Pokéball in my hands before. I weighed it and examined it casually, rubbing my thumb along the cool black strip that connected the two hemispheres together. Unlike Akeno, I had no family pets or anything of the sort to experience anything remotely related to love for a Pokémon. Yeah, I loved learning about them, observing them from my window that overlooked the woods, and I found them cute and interesting and fascinating. But sometimes, more so when I was little, I would question the purpose of sending a Pokémon into battle if trainers loved them oh-so-much like they claim they do.

And then, just like that, with a Pokéball only God knows how Akeno retrieved (maybe by a force of luck or being in the right place at the right time), Akeno is one step above me, finally able to understand the sense of companionship, pride, or love a master could for his very first Pokémon. I envied him a little bit, as I stood here beside a worn down tree stump, longing for that same opportunity to be taking the first step towards everyone's favorite irrational dream: Becoming a Pokémon Master.

I treated the Pokéball as I did with Pokémon in general: distant and foreign. Maybe that's why I decided to be a researcher, of all things. To find a way into the heart of the world of Pokémon.

I tossed the slick metal ball back to its owner. "I'll be off then," I spoke softly.

"Come on, Kira. Don't you wanna know what I caught?" Akeno murmured in a longing tone of voice, on the brink of whining.

"No, not really."

"Come _on!"_

"Alright, fine," I muttered, "but make it quick."

I stopped and watched as Akeno backed away a couple feet. When he stopped, he gave out what seemed to be a well thought cry (and by that, I mean not really), _"Go! Pala!"_

Akeno sent the ball flying through the air with a strong pitch of his arm. Gravity seemed to have quickly brought it down as the Pokéball landed with a hollow _clink_ on the ground and rebounded upward again, opening up to allow bright, red mist-like flames to beam out and mold itself. There it was. Akeno's very first Pokémon, blue and white in color and standing only two feet off the ground.

It was one of the cutest Poliwag I've seen. I looked at the Pokémon and immediately realized the reason behind his absence last night in the strong winds. We all knew that storms and rain brought the water Pokémon in the lake back in the woods (what we called as kids the "Lake of Truth") out from hiding. He must've realized that the conditions were perfect. He wasn't all that stupid; winds as strong as that would have tired a Poliwag like that out in no time, making it oh-so-easy to catch without the need of another Pokémon to weaken it. He wasn't dumb enough to catch something like a bug Pokémon like Lillian (that evil Spinarak owner) that was an easy catch any day, but not worth it in the long run. He did his research, and knew exactly what he was looking for, and not only where to get it, but when and how, too.

"Okay…a Poliwag," I announced, almost sarcastically, to try and conceal my surprise and satisfaction of his though process. "Congratulations, Akeno."

"Thanks, but Pala's defiantly a Poliwhirl," Akeno replied, obviously more than mistaken. I smirked a little, what little respect for his wits I had quickly floating away; finally, my close observation of Pokémon finally came to good use.

"Poliwhirl don't exactly have tails," I correctly nonchalantly, "Plus, I'm pretty sure they have arms."

Akeno squatted down in order to take a closer look at his so-called "Poliwhirl". He sighed a sign of defeat and mumbled something incomprehensive under his breath, finally shrugging and bringing his lips into a smile.

"You're right…" he finally stated," this guy doesn't have arms!" He scooped the Pokémon up in his arms and hugged it in a single motion (Wow, took him long enough to see it didn't have arms, I thought to myself). He chuckled. "But she's still _soooo _cute!"

"Thanks for the show and tell, but I kinda have to go," I quickly said and started to walk pass the tree stump and up the hill. I grumbled, at both the ridiculousness of the scenario, of Akeno, and of all the loss time I had to compensate with. Akeno was such a drag for a girl in a hurry like me.

"Wait!" Akeno called out as soon as I took my third step. He quickly ran to catch up with me. "Where ya going?"

"Paranana." I muttered simply. That was pretty much the only thing I had to say, as my silent explanation seemed to have carried over to him. He stood there with his new Poliwag, Pala, in his arms, dead in his tracks, as he watched me continue on without him. I knew why he stopped, and he knew why I continued. In my one-word response I had summed up my lost hope in trying to go after an impractical dream like his; that his dream he had to pursue on his own. And he knew that I chose knowledge over adventure, and that I wasn't going to be coming back anytime soon.


	3. A Symbol of Misfortune

_Author's Notes: 04.06.12_

_A lot of people have been curious as to whether or not this fic will still be intertwined with **Unseen, Unheard, Unfelt **(Silver-Leafx). The answer is both a yes and a no; while I will still keep the handful of chapters in which the two do overlap, the plans we previously had with future collaborations are probably not going to be used anymore. Silver-Leafx as been my good pal for a couple of years now, and while these two fics have been the spark of our relationship, I've decided to take this one solo. She's far too busy as is, and I'd feel bad to drag her into more time-consuming stuff._

_Also, some have asked me if I will accept OCs. For the time being, I'll say "Sure", but I really don't have many spots. **Submit an OC if you like to, I ****guess**, but I promise nothing. Add in things you think I'll need: Name, Age, Bio, Pokemon Team, etc. Be detailed. If I really like your character, I'll find a way to put it in. Trust me._

_Merged two chapters into one to save time and space, haha. _

_As I always say: Read, review, and enjoy!_

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 2: A Symbol of Misfortune<span>  
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_Just keep walk-ing~ Just keep walk-ing~ _

I let out a deep exhale of exhausted air. Singing a motivational tune wasn't going to help anymore. As I had guessed, the summer temperatures did come alright, and I was sweating myself into a pulp. It was hours after noon and I was hungry. No- more like starving. _Starving, _I thought to myself. That seemed to be the right word.

I was on the outskirts of the city, my pace becoming inconsistent and rigid as I slowly morphed with the crowds of people going around the busy streets. A dodge to the left. A small detour to the right. I had to give it more effort to walk among all these people than to go up that incredibly steep hill! I tried to make a Combee-line towards the Pokémon Academy that was located just miles ahead, but found it challenging with all the tempting venders selling mouth-watering food. I decided that since I had no more food from what I packed, I might as well eat something cheap and good.

I headed up to a fried noodles vender and leaped excitedly to the back of the three-man line, pulling my backpack off my shoulder to scavenge for my rather light wallet. The lady in the front and her kids received their food. The old man with the cane ended his large order with his spicy fried noodles with extra curry paste, and the vender whipped it all up in about twenty minutes. I could feel my lips curl in joy as I see the vender's eyes look up at me, questioning my order.

"Could I have the-"

_"Stop that bird!"_ A stressed, hoarse voice called out, causing me to jump. I turned, both alert and ready to run. There, zooming down my line of sight, was a type of bird Pokémon flying at full speed with a brown sack in its little black beak. It's determined, blood red eyes contrasted it's dark, night sky feathers, and in the background I could see it was being pursued by a crowd of rather old and angry people shouting "Stop that bird!"

The Pokémon flew past me with a brusque squawk, the crowd in tow. While I watched as the old man in front staggered and dropped his hands to his knees, I huffed and threw my bag over my shoulder, kicking off into a run. Joining the old man were his accompanists, panting in defeat. For the sake of peace and quiet (and maybe an offering of free food, I won't deny), I chased after the night bird.

I pumped my legs as fast as I could, eyes locked dead on the brown sack in its beak. The Pokémon took an abrupt right turn at the entrance of a dark alley between two tall tenements. I hurried and pursed closely, kicking my left foot out to do a quick right turn after it. I hadn't even taken another ste-

_"Oof!"_

_ "Owww!"_

I was blown back and knocked off my feet so fast, I wasn't even really sure what had happened until my tailbone took a hit to the pavement. Clutching onto my forehead that was in just as much pain from the impact into the unknown force, I looked up with one eye squeezed shut. I saw a figure, definitely human, laying down a few feet away from me, attempting to stand but in too similar of a condition to me. The person got up, staggered, and took a few steps backward just to find themselves on the ground again, tripping over an unknown object hidden in the darkness.

"A-are you alright?" I stuttered; forced, but with intended politeness. I could clearly see now that the person was a boy in his late teens, maybe even early twenties, and he was clutching onto his right knee in pain.

The boy didn't answer. Instead, he quickly stood up and backed away into the shadows in one swoop. I tried squinting my eyes but found it futile. "Murkrow! Attack!"

Astonished, I backed away as quick as my scuffed legs allowed. Murkrow? A Pokémon? The night bird I chased? I didn't even get a chance to think before a segment of the alley's shadow came flying over my head, wind rustling my hair restless. I ducked in cover, my hands over my heads to match my terrorized scream, and got on my knees, trying to crawl away but finding out it was useless. The boy grabbed my bag, pulled it off my arm, and tossed it aside before pulling me up and locking my arms behind my back. He dragged me back, away from the already dimming light of the alley entrance. _Was it already this late? _My heart beat raced, my mind not thinking of ways to get out fast enough.

Adrenaline was constantly running through my body as the fight-or-flight response kicked in. In this case, I chose option A-to fight. I started banging myself at whatever part of his body I could possibly hit. Digging my elbow into his rib. My heel into his tow. The back of my head to his nose. Arms flying, legs kicking; I was acting like a lunatic to get his hands off me. I shouted for help, shrieked a few curse words to him, screamed at the top of my lungs so loud my voice rang inside my head. Finally, as I saw the entrance turn into a tiny box of light in my line of sight, he finally let me go, throwing me against the wall. We were so far from the entrance, so far.

_"Who the fuck are you!" _ I screamed as I stood up, staggering against the wall a bit but pushing off of it with my shoulder blades to gain stability. I felt a bit of shock pass over me, both because my echo was so loud, and also because I think that was the first time I've ever screamed "fuck" in my life. I could only see patches of light on his face. Dusk was arriving.

_"Will you just keep quiet!" _The boy shouted, his voice young and full of anger, both frightening and desperate at the core. It caught me off guard just enough for me to do as he said. He let out a groan, slowly sitting across from me against the opposite wall. I joined him cautiously, never letting my eyes off of him. He stretched his long legs toward me, revealing just how narrow this alley was. I looked up at the sky, the tenements rising up almost ten floors. It was getting darker and darker by the minute.

I did the math: Summer, dusk was about nine o'clock. Nine thirty, the Academy closed their gates. That means I would have to turn in my application online. The nearest internet café…a fifteen minute walk. I would have to pay for using it… 80 Pokédollars. Not expensive. Then by the time I could finish the application, and turn it in before midnight…I would have to spend my remaining two hours there. 160 Pokédollars. Dinner: 350 Pokédollars, maybe 200 if I go cheap. And since I can't walk home in the dark, a hotel room. 1400 Pokédollars. Breakfast in the morning, another 350 Pokédollars. I gulped. I didn't bring enough money.

An odd commercial popped into my head mockingly, _"A Pidgeot? 8600 Pokédollars. HM02 Fly? 5600 Pokédollars. Being able to fly anywhere you want in a matter of minutes? Priceless." _

"Murkrow," the boy murmured, disrupting my panicked yet strange thoughts. Murkrow, which either was the Pokémon's name or the Pokémon itself, jumped appeared out from hiding and hopped little steps off to the boy, handing him the brown paper bag with a squawk. The scent of warm bread trickled out as he opened it; it reminded me of how hungry I was, and how close I was to getting those mouth-watering fried noodles…

The boy began ripping the bread apart into large divisions, and from his lips erupted a loud whistle. Some clattering sounds came after, and out from behind a few cartons, boxes, and heaps of garbage came two pretty large Pokémon, one which I automatically knew was a Quilava from years of looking through Pokémon books, and the other a brown, ferret-like Pokémon that I couldn't quite name on the spot. Just as I thought, the boy called his Pokémon over to share segments of warm bread with.

"Some light please, Quilava," he stated quietly. Within moments burning flames ignited from Quilava's uniquely built holes on its head and back. I could clearly see everything now; how dirty the alley was, how dark it really was, and most of all, what this mystery man looked like.

The boy looked a little bit younger than I expected; around sixteen to seventeen. He had bushy, messy brown hair that seemed really thick and dark despite the fire's light. His face was sharp, but pleasing. Handsome, if not for the smudges of dirt and the bags representing lack of sleep sitting under his striking eyes that were sharp, intelligent, and in control. His eyes were his most defining feature; cold, and have lost its glare. Indifferent, and observant. Even in the dim light, they radiated a light green so bright, it could belong to a gem of sorts.

Peridots.

I watched him closely, both scared and in question. He too observed me, looking at me in his awkward fashion, his head back against the wall and his eyes peering at me lifelessly. The moving shadows Quilava's light deceived his expression into exaggeration, making him seem so much more terrifying to me.

Soon enough, he decided to quit staring. Probably, he realized nothing could come of it. He continued to rip his bread and feed his Pokémon, leaving behind only one piece for himself safely on his lap. I didn't dare make a sound, my heart beating steadily but firmly, almost so hard it ached. I just sat there, watching his Murkrow on his shoulder, his brown ferret-thing curled up beside him. Occasionally my eyes flickered to watch the dancing flames of Quilava's light.

_Grrrrrrrrrr…_

Guess my body thought the laying low thing was a joke.

Everyone froze and turned to look at me. I wrapped my forearm around my stomachs in attempt to calm it down, but it didn't stop revoking me. Without a word, the boy sat up, crawled up to me, and gave me his unbitten piece of bread.

"No, but thanks anyways. I'm not really that hungry," I lied.

"Just eat it," he muttered for the first time in what seemed like a millennium. His voice wasn't hoarse and demanding like earlier, rather, it was more in control. Calm, and cool.

"I can't just-"

"Just eat the damn bread," he demanded once more. His voice wasn't rapacious, though. It was simply firm, like a father's.

"Look, I'm not hungry so you can just take it and I'll be on my way now," I requested lightly before handing back the bread. Of course, without a doubt I would have scarfed it down. But I didn't, simply because I was so scared, or maybe felt like it would be too selfish of an act for even me to commit. The boy looked at me and smirked, refusing to accept the bread back.

"You're such a bad liar," he finally uttered.

"Excuse me?"

"You want the bread but you're too scared of what I'll think of you."

"No… I'm not." I looked off to the side, my cheeks growing red with the embarrassment that even this stranger could read me like an open book. The boy gave a small chuckle, lightly petting the night feathers of his Murkrow.

"What's your name?" he asked, glancing over.

"K-Kira…" I answered, both stunned and confused. When he didn't reply, I cleared my throat, "Kira Uriwa." He stopped for a brief minute, as if to examine me. His eyes trickled from my hair down to my eyes, his small smile never fading. He glanced back at Murkrow to pet its hat-shaped head, then looked back.

"Nice name," the boy finally said and laughed. He nodded. "Call me Yoshi."

I'm taken back by both his reaction and his calmness. It seemed like he suddenly took a 180 turn and changed into a whole other person. Kidnapping me and all of a sudden being my best friend or something. I grumbled, irritated.

"Look, umm… Yoshi, I got somewhere to go, and I have to be there like-" I looked up at the darkening sky- "Now." I prepared myself to stand.

"You're not going already, are you?" He asked. He stood up in unison with me as I got up to leave. I eyed him suspiciously.

"Yes, I am leaving, so goodbye-"

"What's the rush?" he laughed. This new personality was creeping me out more than Mr. Shadow Demon back when I first arrived.

"I need to go to the Pokémon Academy."

With those words, his laughing expression was erased and replaced with a certain frown. He placed his hands in his pockets as Murkrow flew over to join us, landing on Yoshi's shoulder lightly.

"Did he steal your Pokémon, too?"

My face wrinkled into a confused expression. I blinked repeatedly and furrowed my eyebrows to try to comprehend his words. Soon, I decided to give up.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Don't you know? There's a thief boy around here stealing Pokémon. He got me, too." Yoshi let out an exasperated breath, irritated.

"He stole…your Pokémon?" I repeated like a retarded child.

"Yeah, my precious one too."

"What was it?" A Glameow? A Houndoom? Maybe he meant precious, as in irreplaceable, like a legendary Mew?

"Look, kid, never mind," Yoshi finally stated. He paused for the moment, then turned his back to me. In a few swift motions he bent down and picked up a lump of fabric I soon registered as my bag from the side of the wall. He threw it to me, and I caught it with fumbling, unready hands. "What Pokémon you got on you right now? Any of them know the HM Cut by any chance?"

A little freaked out at the moment, I responded with a helpless little, "I don't have any Pokémon…"

I jumped at the roaring laughter that followed, coming from Yoshi, of course. He latched onto his stomach for support, and even Murkrow had to fly off his shoulder in recoil.

"Oh Arceus, and I quickly locked your arms and pulled your bag away so you wouldn't pull out a Pokémon and get me into a fight!" He laughed on and on, even banged his hands on the alley wall a few times. I growled in irritation, exaggerating my angry expression so he would get the hint that he was the only person finding this humorous.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Enough with the laughing already," I grumbled and made my way passed him, "I still have places I need to be."

"What? You're enrolling at _that _stupid school?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." I snorted, a little offended.

"Good luck with that. It's horrible. I've been there and I don't think I'll be going back very soon." He reached into his belt that had multiple compartments and pulled out what seemed to be Pokéballs, tossing one up and catching it lightly. He repeated this many times as a form of entertainment. "I guess I'd be lying if I said that, though."

"What?" I staggered, confused. Yoshi's lips curled into a smirk.

"Come on, kid. I think you're gonna need a Pokémon before anything else."


	4. Gotcha! My First Pokemon!

****_Author's Notes: 04.15.12_

_This chapter was significantly shorter than the previous two, but I didn't really feel like merging it or anything. I also didn't add much to it because I liked the original as it was. __Don't have that much time to write, got too much shit to do. Blah. But updating because I promised BaD, so I have to deliver!_

_Hope you guys enjoy! :)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Gotcha! My First Pokémon!<strong>

I ended up buying dinner for Yoshi and me on our way to the Pokémon School. Yeah, I know I wanted to go there from the very beginning, but not in this way. Not with some creeper who did personality changes in split seconds. Yoshi had kept all three of his Pokémon (a Murkrow, a Quilava, and a ferret-like scout Pokémon, Sentret) in his dirty Pokéballs tucked in his belt with specified pockets. He suggested we headed to the forest on our way to the school, which was already kind of out of the way, so I really didn't want to. It was dark and almost time for the school to close its sign-ups, and I really was in more of a rush than ever.

I didn't talk much due to my frustration, but I always stood by as a great listener. Yoshi had told me he used to be a student of the Pokémon Academy. He rambled on and on about how the teaching was complex and the training was pretty harsh, but none of that stopped him from excelling at every class he took there. He told me a little about his family too; how his father was an unsuccessful Pokémon researcher and his mother bred Pokémon for a living. His full name was "Yoshiro Kaname", but he preferred to simply be called "Yoshi".

Yoshi also talked about what he did after dropping out of the Academy. He told me he was a very skilled trainer and he traveled all around the world. Or, at least he didn't specify how much or how far he went. He told me about how exciting it was to battle and such, and how much he wanted me to experience that same excitement.

"Here we are," Yoshi announced and led me into the forest off a light hiding path, "I only got one extra Pokéball, so pick your Pokémon wisely, kid."

"Pick my Pokémon?" I asked, a little confused. I had been spending my entire childhood either watching champions battle on TV or learning about Pokémon from books. Unlike Akeno, I never paid attention to the process of becoming a Pokémon Master.

"Yeah, look around and you'll find Pokémon," Yoshi stated, as if it wasn't obvious to me. I rolled my eyes.

"But how am I supposed to catch them? I can't just…"

"Here, take Murkrow." After stating that, Yoshi pulled out one of his Pokéballs and sent out his Murkrow nonchalantly in a flash of red mist-like flames. "Murkrow," he glanced at the night bird, "help Kira catch a Pokémon, please."

Murkrow gave a loud _kukaw _and led me into the forest away from the path. Tightly clutching onto the Pokéball Yoshi had handed to me, I obediently followed and scanned the grounds for any Pokémon possible. I knew many kinds of Pokémon, but not a lot compared to the hundreds that existed.

I could feel my heart echoing in my chest as it pumped. What would I catch? A Donphan? A Spinda? What if I only found really lame bug Pokémon?

I didn't have time to think. Murkrow came to a stop and pointed out a shaking bush with a gesture of his beak. A little terrified, my heart now suddenly beating twice the speed, I carefully tip-toed closer to see what Pokémon was rustling in there. Maybe I came a little too close.

_Oh please be something awesome, oh please be something awesome, oh please be somethin-_

_ "Ehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"_

Something pink just flashed out and headed to my face. In the surprise, I staggered back, almost stumbling over my own feet and falling. What seemed to be a pink Nidoran jumped out at me. I quickly threw the Pokéball in both shock and in defense before squatting down for cover as if I just threw a grenade and was waiting for it to go off. I watched the ball shake and shake as the captured Nidoran tried to escape.

"You…just…you just _fail_," I heard Yoshi say from behind me. Happy as hell that I somehow caught a Pokémon (and managed to stay alive), I picked up the shaking ball, just to hear Yoshi burst out laughing again.

_Justtttt_ found out what he was laughing about.

The Pokéball opened and I was blinded by the red light. The Nidoran came jumping out flying from the ball, into my face, and used it as a launch pad to kick off and leap over my head to freedom. With a palm over my cheek where one of its claws had dug in, I cried in pain as I glared its departure back into the bushes of the woods. Yoshi, still laughing, walked up to me and patted my head, briefly saying, "You got to wait until the ball stops shaking to call it your win, Kid."

"But…But I _caught _it!" I whined, checking to see if my cheek was bleeding or not, and to be relief, finding it perfectly dry.

"Temporarily doesn't make you it's master," Yoshi smirked, "You gotta weaken it and tire it out first, _then _catch it."

"Okay…" I pondered with a pout (hey, that's kinda fun to say), "…by using Murkrow?"

"Exactly." He winked.

"Okay!" I punched my fist to the air in determination, ready to catch myself a Pokémon for real this time. I marched down and headed to a clearing (making sure it was the opposite direction in which that evil Nidoran went), in which I saw Pokémon scattering away, fleeing the possible encounter with the strange girl from Kinya Town. I gave the whole trainer thing another try and walked towards the nearest Pokémon I saw…a Budew.

"Okay, Murkrow-!"

"Noooo no no no no no," Yoshi butted in almost immediately, "You're not expecting to actually catch _that _Pokémon, right?"

"Of course…HEY!" I turned only a brief second away to watch the Budew flee from sight. "You made me _lose _it!"

Arg! That was it! At this rate I wasn't going to get a Pokémon _or _an entrance to the Pokémon Academy! Just like Akeno, Yoshi was always pulling me off track, distracting me, and worst of all, being such a drag!

"Will you just let me choose my own stupid Pokémon!" I finally grumbled, irritated. Yoshi let out an equally irritated sigh and crossed his arms in annoyance, shrugging forcefully.

"Okay, fine. Whatever. It's _your_ Pokémon. If you want a totally useless and weak Pokémon, then be my guest."

_"Thank you!"_ I snorted. For a third time, I marched into the forest, going deeper and deeper. My footsteps were forced and trudged, probably killing any plant life in my path for good. Pokémon scattered. Here, a Beedrill. _Gross. _A Spinarak. _Ughhh evill. _Another Budew. _No. _A Roselia- _oh hey cool WAIT WHERE YOU GOING? Okay, whatever no one likes you either you thorn demon. Tsk._

After about five minutes of searching, all possible Pokémon partners fled. That is, all but one that stood stupidly and obliviously in the clearing. There it was… a mighty Turtwig.

I shook with excitement.

"Okay Murkrow! Before it gets away like that thorn demon- _ATTACK_!" I shouted and pointed at the Turtwig the moment I saw it. Murkrow swooped in rapidly and began to peck at the Turtwig, hovering above the helpless grass Pokémon and screeching loudly. _Yes, type advantage! _I punched the air with confidence. The Turtwig, so occupied with surprise to realize what was going on, didn't have any room to counter. I cheered the night bird on as it sent Turtwig rolling on its back. The poor Pokémon cried in pain as Murkrow swooped down again and swept by with a rapid flying attack of some sort with its wings, making the Turtwig roll over again.

Now was the time! I aimed at the Turtwig and threw the Pokéball with all my might, high hopes of catching it filling my rapidly beating heart.

I closed my eyes and laughed with excitement. I heard a _thunk_ and a _woosh _and looked up to see not the Turtwig, but some other Pokémon getting sucked in by the Pokéball's ray of red flames. Yoshi's laugh, louder than ever, came from the background once more.

"I… I can't even…" he tried to word his sentence through gasping breathes between his laughs, "…that you threw that ball right when that Pokémon was passing by!" He finished out his laughing as I frowned and watched the Turtwig hobble away, Murkrow obediently retreating. The Pokéball on the ground was motionless: Whatever I caught, it's mine to keep now…

"I caught it…" I said half-heartedly, "But… that Turtwig was pretty awesome…"

"What did you catch? I just saw some yellow blur," Yoshi asked, grabbing the ball from the ground and throwing it lightly back down. The Pokéball bounced off the ground and opened up, letting out the mist-like flames that molded into a figure. The ball bounced safely back to Yoshi's hands. Finally, I could see my new Pokémon; It was yellow as Yoshi said, alright, with its yellow fluff and blue skin. It was unmistakably…

"…a Mareep…" I finished my sentence out loud, looking at the Pokémon with disappointed eyes and a frown to accompany it.

"Hey, look at this cute thing," Yoshi chuckled and knelt down to pet it. I was pretty certain that the Pokémon didn't really like him much, since as soon as Yoshi approached it, it gave him a light shock. Yoshi quickly pulled his hand away and sucked on one of his fingers, wincing in pain, before laughing and poking the Pokémon again.

"Quit it, Yoshi," I growled and bent down to pink up my new Pokémon. I felt my eyes grow wide at the surprisingly soft and warm wool. It was probably the softest Pokémon I've ever touched (granted, I've only touched a handful of Pokémon, but still). It was like a fluffy cloud of yellow softness and electricity.

Yeah, I got shocked.

_"Gahh!" _I cried and made an attempt to put the Pokémon down without totally flinging it halfway across the forest clearing. The Mareep wriggled free and jumped out of my arms, sitting down madly, its back facing me.

"Ah, no hard feelings, Kid. Pokémon don't really love their trainers the moment they're caught. Give the little guy some room," Yoshi smiled and returned his Murkrow with a small praise. I received my Pokéball from Yoshi and nodded, frowning as I held it up and pointed it to Mareep, ready to call it back also.

"Mareep, return."

A thin red laser-like beam came out from the Pokéball's middle button and sucked Mareep into the Pokéball.

"Alright with that let's head on to the Pokémon Academy!" Yoshi shouted excitedly, grabbing my arm and dragging me along the path back up to the street. Although it wasn't what I'd expected, I've gotten my very first Pokémon.

If only Akeno were here to see it.


End file.
